In a recent statement, Christian Horner, the team principal of Red Bull Racing, revealed that they are closely monitoring several potential candidates, including Lando Norris, for the coveted 2025 seat alongside Max Verstappen.
The announcement comes amidst growing speculation about the team’s lineup for the upcoming season, as Sergio Perez’s contract is set to expire at the end of the next season.
Perez faces stiff competition from within the Red Bull family, with Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda from AlphaTauri, along with Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson, vying for the same seat.
However, Horner hinted at the possibility of exploring talent outside of their current roster.
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Horner acknowledged the talent and potential of Lando Norris, stating, “Lando’s a great driver. He’s a big talent, big personality and of course he’s one of those drivers that you keep an eye on.”
Norris, whose contract with McLaren concludes at the end of 2025, has long been linked with Red Bull and reportedly engaged in discussions with the Milton Keynes-based team prior to extending his contract with McLaren.
Highlighting the competitive nature of being Max Verstappen’s teammate, Horner remarked, “Being Max’s teammate is never going to be easy, and some drivers may be up for that challenge, some may not be.
“But, of course, as well as the drivers we have in-house, we keep an eye on all the driver market.”
He emphasised the significant interest from various quarters in the prospect of driving a Red Bull car.
Horner emphasised Red Bull’s commitment to securing the “best two drivers” for their team, regardless of their origin.
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He acknowledged Max Verstappen’s exceptional performance, stating, “Max is operating at such a level that his confidence, his commitment, his talent is absolute at the moment, and it’s difficult to envisage somebody beating him in the same equipment.”
However, Horner remained open to exploring external options, stating, “But there’s some great talent out there, and of course what we want is the best two drivers we can possibly field.
“So ideally that will come from within the talent pool that we have, and if we don’t believe there’s that capability, we will look outside of that as to who’s available.”